Bills free safety Troy Vincent is always busy, whether it's his construction firm, his financial services company, his community work or raising his five children. Over the past year however, he often found himself without a minute to spare. Being president of the NFL Players Association in a year when an extension to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement was necessary the phrase "down time" did not exist.
Vincent was constantly huddling with NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw and their chief negotiators. He was responding to inquiries made by players through Executive Committee members. And with the delays in negotiations it only made things more hectic as the rank and file wanted an answer to a popular question.
"Do I think it will happen," said Vincent of the most common question he faced during negotiations on an extension to the CBA. "I always knew we would have one I just didn't know when. I believe the men were educated enough to understand the decisions I was having them make for our association presently and for the future."
Vincent knew there were some rank and file players who wanted more communication to remain informed about the goings on at the negotiating table. But he also knew there had to be a limit to what could be released.
"There were certain things I wouldn't discuss with a player," said Vincent. "There were certain things that Gene Upshaw and I couldn't tell anybody, even the attorneys and the people working alongside us because people talk. We did not want to see certain things leak out. We had things that weren't supposed to be discussed by our peer group."
Vincent believes the tight lid on some aspects of their negotiating plans enabled them to secure a very good agreement with the league's owners.
"We're pleased, we're satisfied," he said. "There is labor peace which is always good to have. We've learned a valuable lesson from the other sports with strikes and lockouts and not having a cap. We didn't want that to happen to us."
Among the bigger accomplishments Vincent believes the Players Association made was getting more favorable language for the players for situations like that of Terrell Owens and on signing bonus forfeitures.
Disciplinary action against a player is limited to four weeks and includes weeks when a player is deactivated, thereby removing the option the Eagles made use of with Owens last season.
A player can only lose 25 percent of his signing bonus that year if he acts in a way that undermines his ability to fully participate in a game. An example would be Kellen Winslow Jr.'s motorcycle accident.
NFL teams can't get back signing bonus money if a player retires. It would have to be negotiated in a player's contract for it to happen. Barry Sanders premature retirement would be an example.
Teams also can't go back and collect signing bonuses, performance bonuses or escalators earned in past years, like the Dolphins tried to do with Ricky Williams.
"To get that language in to protect the men was extremely important," said Vincent.
"When I first saw Mr. Wilson's interview I had my share of things in the agreement that I didn't fully understand either," said Vincent. "Why would you say yes to something you don't know everything about?"
As far as the Bills are concerned, Vincent is encouraged by what he's seen from General Manager Marv Levy in free agency.
"I'm extremely excited to see the action," he said. "I think we've been extremely aggressive in the market. What that says is you have a commitment to win."
With respect to the 'cover-two' scheme in which he'll be playing Vincent says he's solicited the opinion of several players about the scheme and is on board.
"When you look at
And while Vincent will be busy learning the new scheme with the rest of his teammates, he'll remain busy with league affairs as well after recently being re-elected as President of the NFLPA.
"I'm pleased and honored the men still trust me," he said.
Vincent said the lesson he learned in his first term as NFLPA president was you can never please everybody. He's also determined to delegate more responsibility to his Executive Committee which is made up of 10 other current NFL players.
"I'm going to expect more of the people that are alongside me."
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